June
03
/ 2015
Known as the blind daughter in Finnish mythology, Loviatar is the goddess of death and disease. Born from the union of Tuoni, the god of death, and his underworld queen Tuonetar, Loviatar is discussed in numerous Finnish myths and texts as the worst of all their children—the vilest of all evils. The most reliable source remaining is that of the Kalevala, a nineteenth century text that is considered the national epic of Finland. In it, Loviatar takes precedence in the forty-fifth chapter where much information about her can be gleaned. According to the Kalevala, Loviatar is described in the most dreadful of words. She is the most wretched daughter with the blackest of hearts—an "evil genius of Lappala" bent on
